Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) national sheep chairman John Lynskey has said the overall lamb trade is stronger this week, with factories paying €6.10/kg to €6.20/kg for spring lamb. He said hogget prices have also improved, with €5.10 to €5.20 available. He added that demand is strong, all round, driven by Ramadan.

Over 45,000 flock owners, registered as keepers of sheep and goats on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s database, will this week receive the Annual Sheep and Goat Census 2015. Completing and returning the census is a legal obligation.

Following an attack in Cork last week which resulted in the deaths of a ram and seven pedigree ewes, ICSA sheep chairman John Brooks has urged dog-owners to be responsible with their animals and ensure that that they are secure at all times.

IFA sheep chairman John Lynskey has said the recommendations made by the EU Sheepmeat Forum for strong Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) support for sheep producers, including a proposal for a new environmental payment, and a new EU sheep-meat communications and promotion programme, are welcome developments for Ireland’s sheep sector.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine today announced a further request for qualified agriculture advisors who wish to express an interest in acting as facilitators for poultry, tillage or sheep groups under the knowledge transfer programme.

At a high level meeting with senior rural development officials from DG Agri in Brussels this week, IFA National Sheep Committee Chairman John Lynskey said the Commission were clear that the current CAP regulations could accommodate a specific targeted payment for sheep, provided there was a willingness at member state level to develop such a measure.

In the wake of dog attacks on sheep reported in the Cooley Peninsula in recent weeks, Louth Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) chairman Gerard Melia has issued a warning to all dog owners of their responsibility to keep their pets under control at all times.

IFA President Joe Healy led an IFA delegation in a meeting with the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed in Dublin last week, and highlighted priority areas and actions required from the government to address the income crisis across the main farming sectors.

Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) national sheep chairman, Sean Dennehy, has said the lamb market continues to drive on this week with farmers securing €5.65/kg for lambs and prices reported as high as €5.85/kg for larger lots.

Irish Farmers Association (IFA) National Sheep chairman, John Lynskey, has said lamb prices are firm this week with factories paying from €4.65 to €4.75, with some top prices of €4.80 and more for groups and larger lots. He said all plants have now moved on to 22kg carcase weights.

IFA president, Joe Healy, said the impact of Storm Emma, with heavy snow falls and freezing conditions has given rise to extremely difficult working conditions on farms across the country. Sheep farmers are particularly affected with lambing capacity becoming a problem as farmers cannot get their stock out. Mr Healy has appealed to farmers who have spare capacity in their sheds to make it available to neighbours with newborn lambs.

The need for strong, viable lamb prices along with price stability at this important time of year, was highlighted at a recent meeting between the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) and Meat Industry Ireland (MII).

Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) national sheep chairman, John Lynskey, said the lamb trade has strengthened this week with factories paying up to €5.20/kg to get scarce supplies. He said prices are higher and numbers tighter.